Chanse Lowell's Blog, page 9

The perils of guest blogging...

In my never-ending quest over the last week to find as many book bloggers as possible willing to read and review Knots, I find myself in a strange place. I’m about to guest blog on a BDSM book review blog.
I don’t think I’ve been this nervous since I gave birth for the first time. Thoughts assault me—all the what if’s. What if I screw up their blog so badly with my post that they lose all their followers? What if I say something dumber than usual (not likely, but ya never know)? What if the one and only Zach Braff Chicken Little was right and my sky really is falling (did you see Melancholia—it could happen)? What if the BDSM community comes after me with pitchforks—not because it’s fun and they enjoy it, but because I truly made a mockery of all they hold dear? What if I’m a poser and I don’t realize it? What if I’m the poster girl for bad guest bloggers anonymous? See? I have issues today . . .
There’s something frightening about going up against a panel of experts, and this feels like the Olympics for BDSM books. Will I score a 1.5 because my dismount was messy? Had to be the dismount, because my mother disguised as the East German judge gave me a score of… Oh wait. That’s one of my favorite holiday movies, When Harry Met Sally—not my life today.
Okay, so I make light, but really, I wonder if I’m capable of talking about my foray into the lifestyle. Will my experience matter to anyone else? Will they care about how long it took me to figure out who I was? Will it open discussion? Will it end third world hunger one thong and flogger at a time? Probably not, but I’ve discovered recently the reason I crave speaking to others in the lifestyle is because there’s this sense of understanding. No one judges anyone else for having different kinks or fixations. No one’s going to say I’m beyond repulsive because I’m an anal slut and have been for a long time. Not that they’ll want to compare anal bead sizes either, but still . . . You know what I mean.
Some of the absolute best people I’ve met have been in this lifestyle because of their open-mindedness and inclusive attitude. It doesn’t matter if I long to be tied up, gagged and thrown in a trunk—without bruising please and only after the trunk’s been vacuumed out, ‘cause it gets dirty in there. They get that a fantasy is healthy, and that there’s an art to living them out.
So, does that make guest blogging any easier? A little. It’s nice to know their whips won’t be aimed at me punitively. Where else in life can I find that? As a writer, I get flayed from time to time about my writing through negative reviews. There are always going to be reviewers that have no qualms about making dancing pictures with their derogatory words that say, “WTF was this? This writer is crazy, yo!” And all the while, they laugh.
That’s fine. I try to avoid those the way I do a frothing-mouthed pit bull, chasing down people in the street. No thanks. I’ll take my pain with a side of orgasm instead.
So, the moral here is this—only guest blog when caught up in a moment of insanity. Only tie up your partner when they’re sleep deprived and horny as hell, unless you’re in the lifestyle and trained. Only eat Rice Krispies after putting sugar on it—the plain stuff is, well… not quite vanilla, but just boring. And only—I repeat—only read this current post because you want to feel my pain. Last of all—only watch Melancholia if you want to experience what a current day, acid trip might be like (this movie is disturbing in so many ways and odder than I can express—Kirsten Dunst couldn’t save it, and neither could Keifer Sutherland).
Crossing fingers I survive this guest blogging thingy. *toothy grin* Enjoy your weekend. I’ll be stewing over my guest post. ;D

Knots feedback

Well, it's been a week since the ARCs went out, and I'm still contacting book bloggers to get the word out even more about Knots.

I thought I'd share some of the fun responses I've been getting so far:

Today I got a tweet from a book blogger 31% in that said everytime Sir speaks, she gets dizzy. Lol! Loved this one. Short, sweet, to the point, and most of all, thrilling. Yes! Love it!
This one is from one of my new permanent ARC reviewers, but before Sleeves, I hadn't ever met her before. I had put up on some of the Goodreads groups that belong to that I was looking for reviewers, and she responded. Here's what she told me in email (I got permission to share this):
Hey Chanse,
 My god how do you it, write these great books.  I started immediately and could not put them away and now I'm sorry that it ended already, but I would love to have read more that they had munchkins :o) She gave it a 5 star review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/675823961 I don't usually read my reviews unless one of my reviewers asks me to, and she asked me to do just that, so I reviewed it. She blew me away with how much she enjoyed it. This one is from one of my pre-readers who's a submissive and has been in the lifestyle for 15 years. I'd never met her before this story. I found her on one of my BDSM Goodreads groups and asked her to pre-read and give feedback. Here's what she had to say (I also got permission to share this as well):Hi Chanse,
I loved your book. Fabulous story, amazing concept. Dominant was very believable, secure , trusting, whilst gently leading. Submissive was very much a natural submissive as you make clear to people in the lifestyle. Although those outside would think that it wasn't a choice, you're only born sub, although we know you can choose to submit.

Overall, the BDSM was amazingly accurate, as you said you know the lifestyle. You have not portrayed it wrong. He's an amazingly caring Dom.


While I know not everyone's going to have glowing reviews for my book/books, I'm pleased that it has reached some people that have enjoyed it.

I can't wait to publish it on October 18th!

Knots ARCs sent out today

ARCs went out today for Knots. I'm happy to give more of them out for free in either epub or mobi. All I ask in exchange is that you post an honest review on Goodreads, at this link:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18212980-knots

And then post your review on Amazon after it's published on October 18th. If you're interested, contact me. Here's the summary:

Jeanie's life has been turned upside down. She's lost her husband at an early age and with him, her way. An offer from a man she's avoided, a man that was her husband’s best friend, may be the only thing that can bring light back into her life. Mark isn't like most men. His dominant nature helps him see a different side of Jeanie: a submissive woman with a deep capacity to love and please a man. But having a relationship with him so soon after her husband’s death causes strife with her in-laws; the only family she knows. Can Mark set her free, or will she walk away, missing out on the chance for an all-encompassing love?

WANTED: 15 more ARC reviewers and 10 book bloggers for Knots, BDSM love story

Knots ARCs should be going out this Friday. I'd still like to have 15 more ARC reviewers and if anyone has any book bloggers/reviewers they follow regularly, be it on Goodreads or just through their blog, and they review BDSM love stories frequently, send the suggestions my way.

I've got a few I intend to contact myself, but I'm always curious to see who others follow for rec's on a good BDSM love story. My favorite indie author, #KallypsoMasters has done amazingly well, so I may have to go see which book bloggers review her works when they come out, although, mine has no military, so we'll see if I can find some that will fit for my story.

Here's the summary again for Knots in case you're unsure if you'd be interested in being an ARC reviewer or not:

Jeanie's life has been turned upside down. She's lost her husband at an early age and with him, her way. An offer from a man she's avoided, a man that was her husband’s best friend, may be the only thing that can bring light back into her life. Mark isn't like most men. His dominant nature helps him see a different side of Jeanie: a submissive woman with a deep capacity to love and please a man. But having a relationship with him so soon after her husband’s death causes strife with her in-laws; the only family she knows. Can Mark set her free, or will she walk away, missing out on the chance for an all-encompassing love?

Knots ARCs to go out this week

Great news! I just got through my editors final editing suggestions. I'm waiting back on one more set of pre-readers who've said they should be back to me in a few days. After I get through their suggestions, then they'll go out. I'm thinking Friday you'll have one if you signed up for it. If you're interested, just let me know and I'll put you on the list...

Meet Guy Moore--SHROAG 50 visuals

Most people know who Henry Cavill is since he recently played Superman and got a whole new bod for the role, but before that, he was the amazing, drool-worthy Charles Brandon on the Tudors. Now, I'm a Jonathan Rhys Meyer's fan, but as soon as I saw Cavill, I remember thinking, "Who is that? Wow! He should be playing the King!"

He's been the man I've had in my head for Guy Moore for years now as this story was bumping around upstairs. He's charming, handsome and a little dangerous. Perfect for my man that can win Anne Boleyn from the King.

Just in case you don't know who Henry Cavill is, let me share...

SHROAG 50 visuals

Meet Garrett Neff, if you haven't already. He's a model, and he's who I picture as my Nicholas Carew in SHROAG 50 and SHROAG 51.

In some of these pictures he has lighter colored hair, so you'll just have to imagine he has dark brown hair. Although, I doubt most of us are looking at stuff like that when there's too much other yumminess before us...

He's my current obsession. There's this amazing little short film with him that took my breath away, and then I knew he was my guy for my story. I'd post it here, but there's nudity in it and I'd like to avoid pornographic images on my site. If you're interested in seeing it, all you have to do is type in this man's name, look under Google images, and you'll find it. It's called Mine.

My book review for Discipling the Duchess: an amazing story with an early version of a Dom

I absolutely had to share this book review with my readers here since some of you know with my stories like Breaking Blood on Alabaster, and my upcoming story coming out in November, SHROAG 50, along with my story, Pearl on Cherry, also coming out in the fall, I've been exploring and have been obsessed for months with what an early, rudimentary version of a Dom would be like. Well, I finally found another writer's version of this very thing, and I was mesmerized. This story is not for the faint of heart by any means, but if you're fine with angsts, like your historical fiction to include BDSM themes and a lot of spanking, then this story is one you might enjoy. It's one of my all-time favorites, it's that tasty and raw... With that being said, here's my Goodreads review I left today for this story.

Disciplining the Duchess by Annabel Joseph
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Have you ever read a story and it rang through your core so deeply, it felt like a lover? Well, that’s exactly what this book did to me. The writing was that brilliant! The last book to make my toes curl was Tender Mercies by Kitty Thomas. This one, though—holy hell—it seriously had me damn near hyperventilating several times, it was that ingenious and perfect. Every aspect of both of the main characters spoke to me on a very primal level and I think I experienced every emotion that exists as I read this story. I loved this mix of historical fiction with BDSM. They fit very well even though the combination sounds odd—kind of like Court and Harmony.

Harmony was like the Bridget Jones of the regency period, which I identify with completely. And Court. Oh, Court, how my heart doth swoon for thee! He is the early embodiment of a primal Dom. This story was exactly what I’ve been obsessing over for months—the possible origins of the Dom. Yum! I’ve written a few stories about that very theme, so this was like a balm to my searching soul. I wanted to read someone else’s take on it, and I was not disappointed at all.

I have to admit, the very first chapter was tedious for me and kind of dragged, so much so that I kept picking it up, setting it back down for a week or 2 and then tried it again. That went on for a few weeks, and I’d set it aside, work on writing a book I was going to publish soon, then I’d read something else, then go back to it. Boy, am I glad I continued on. I told myself to give it at least 5 chapters, and once I got to the scene where he danced with Harmony, I was hooked. In fact, when I finally got to the dance scene, I read the entire book from that point on in less than 24 hours. I couldn’t sleep until I finished it, even though my eyes were burning and I was exhausted. I just couldn’t step away. It was impossible to stop reading it!

All of the spanking was nothing short of delicious. The honeymoon night was off the charts H.O.T! She was so innocent and so uninhibited, it made him unleash like mad. I loved how torn he was over pleasing society and being the proper Duke, and loving his wife unconditionally regardless of all of her quirks. He was very much duty bound and had been raised to strictly adhere to certain principles and values, and so her quirks threw him at times. She was a history buff who loved to read and longed to visit historical sites. Yes, I felt like I was Harmony every bit of the way, even though I’m a pretty good dancer, and she was a clod on the dance floor. I’m that way with all sports, so I felt her plight completely. Her self-esteem was so low, due to the whole ton always picking on her, and for being basically a spinster at the age of 23, having never entertained a beau. Loved her!!!! She no longer cared about her reputation since she had no prospects, and her brother was awful to her, so all she cared about was history, dammit, and she would stop at nothing to fill her mind with books that would create never-ending questions in her mind.

The visit to Hadrian’s wall was priceless, along with her reaction to finding an eyelash on Court’s cheek and whisking it away with her gloved finger only to tell him to make a wish (that came before the wall, though, btw). He never knew how to react her. She made all his defenses come crashing down because of her wild imagination and childlike creativity. God, I loved her! I adored his nickname for her as well—Miss Chaos. Fit her perfectly! And it was one of the reasons she kept telling him he shouldn’t marry her, and there was no need for them to adhere to conventions since nothing happened when he had to stay overnight at the Inn with her, albeit in their own separate rooms, without a chaperon. She absolutely knew she’d be a disaster and embarrass him at every turn since with the exception of her father, she could never please a man. I felt that deep in my heart, since this has been my experience most of my life as well. Man, she was like my long lost twin from a distant past and another country.

He was her protector. He was her fierce lover that would do anything at all to please her in the bedroom. Gah! Can I bite his ass now after he spanks mine? He was so freaking hot and so just so entirely MALE! Every time after he’d spank her, he’d make love to her and ravage her so completely, they were both boneless afterward. I was feeling it, too. Oh yeah! I couldn’t believe it when he started their honeymoon night with a spanking, “to foster a sense of closeness between them.” I was skeptical, but damn. I wished now my honeymoon night had played out exactly like that. It was erotic and so damn naughty, I loved every second of it. Her reactions of “Oh no!” repeatedly when she’d get aroused, garnered more sighs from me and swoons because he was such a skilled lover. It was the right mix of sweet and naughty from both.

There were times I felt almost like I was reading the story of what Gone with the Wind should have been like behind the scenes. Like this was the story we didn’t get to see but all wanted. That story has been a favorite since I was a teen. Rhett should have taken lessons from Court—spank her, dammit. You’ll both feel so much better afterward when your headstrong wife gets out of control because she does not see bounds or limits. She only sees a challenge she must conquer. And he only sees a woman that makes him wild with desire that he can’t for the life of him resist, though he can’t explain it.

Even when they were driving each other nuts, you could still feel the passion. And even when they made poor decisions, from their perspective, upbringing and societal pressures, all of it made perfect sense to me. The times when she became despondent and was almost walking around like a zombie, trying to become what she thought he wanted, had my heart ripping out of my chest because I knew it was killing both of them. That’s how invested I was in these characters, that when they almost destroyed each other and themselves, I was still rooting for both of them, having absolute faith they’d find a way to get through it together and find peace and happiness in the end.

Perfection! This is one of my all-time favorites. I loved it so much I had to buy Lily Mine since I read that was a historical piece by this same author with spanking as well. Can’t wait! Oh, but that is after I re-read this gem. I’ve already gone over the honeymoon scene. Couldn’t resist.

I also have to say, I loved the crotchety old mother-in-law and how she picked on Harmony when they were face-to-face and then defended her to Court behind her back. Isn’t that the truth? This woman was jealous and admitted it later because her marriage had been fairly tragic with a cheating husband whom she loved dearly and simply couldn’t please when he was living. Loved how things turned out for her in the end as well.

Here are some of my absolute favorite lines:

*In this scene his mother complains to him about Harmony reading incessantly*

“She spends hours in there, reading!”
“Horrifying,” he murmured. “If she does not take care, she may learn something.”

*This scene is where Court is dealing with her insisting she go see Hadrian’s wall*
“I would lend you my coach but my mother is using it to call on acquaintances,” he said. “I’ll hire one at the inn.”
“What if you can’t?” came her small voice.
“There are very few things I can’t do.”

(Uh, yeah. He said that more than once, and I was panting every damn time.)

Seriously—this book was amazing. I’m still reeling over it, and I’m so glad I bought it on a whim, based on another reader recommending it in one of my groups I belong to. I am now a fan of Annabel Joseph and will checking out more of her books soon!

View all my reviews

SHROAG 50 completed and sent out to team

Great news! Today I finished the final scene and the lead-up chapter to the sequel to SHROAG 50, titled SHROAG 51. Bet you weren't expecting that title at all. Teehee!

My editors and all 9 prereaders now have it in their hands, and I can't wait to hear what they think since I've had this story in my head for a few years now.

SHROAG 50's release date is November 22, 2013. This is my story that combines scifi, historical fiction and BDSM erotica all in one. I just couldn't resist. And who would want to? ;D

Sleeves is free for next 2 days!

In celebration of Slick as Ides being published, I'm offering Sleeves for the next 2 days free.

Here's the link so you can get your copy or share the link with other!

http://www.amazon.com/Sleeves-ebook/dp/B00EKLM6VG/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1379611895&sr=1-3